Issuu

MONDAY 14th September, 2020

' No.106122

Budget people-focused, goal-oriented –– U.S. professor, private sector laud removal of tax burden SEE STORY ON PAGE 3

Isaiah and Joel laid to rest “These events must never occur again… in the memory of these two young men, all of Guyana should recommit to love, peace, unity and to serve in God. Today I ask the rest of Guyana to reflect in a peaceful manner, to reflect in prayer and to hold up the families in prayer.”

– President Dr Irfaan Ali SEE STORY ON PAGES 14 & 15

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali pays tribute to murdered teens Joel and Isaiah Henry at Sandy's Funeral Home on Sunday

House owned by ‘Nations’ director burglarised

PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

‘Something for everyone’

–– stakeholders say Budget 2020 is step in the right direction By Navendra Seoraj GOVERNMENT in a move to revitalise productive sectors and “return” money to the pockets of Guyanese, presented a $329.5 billion emergency budget which persons believe has something for everyone, from those in the “backdam” to persons in an office. Guyana’s economy like many others around the world has experienced a decline in economic activities because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. But unlike other countries, Guyana was also affected by a protracted electoral process which ended only on August 2, 2020. Ailing sectors, a rising unemployment rate, lack of jobs and a dreaded disease were, and in some cases, still are some of the threats facing the country which sits on the edge of South America and has a population of about 750,000 persons. Some say revitalising and stabilising the economy is a tall order, but the new People’s Progress Party/

Alex Giddings

Civic (PPP/C) government has started the process of “rebuilding” by rolling out its budget which includes their “plan for prosperity.” Minister of Public Infrastructure Juan Edghill, presenting Budget 2020 to the National Assembly on Wednesday, said government’s “plan for prosperity,” despite the challenges, has taken root in this emergency budget, and Budget 2021 will outline the transformative agenda for the medium-term; one that is inclusionary and

Guyana Society for the Blind Executive member Ganesh Singh

participatory in its architecture and implementation. The Guyana Chronicle spoke to persons who agreed that the budget does not include “everything” because of the existing circumstances, but it is a step in the right direction. Rice Miller and President of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce, Rupan Ramotar, said this is one of the best budgets in years. In offering relief to the agriculture sector, which is often referred to as the lifeblood of the local economy, government announced removal of the Value Added Tax (VAT) on agro-chemicals and pesticides. Ramotar, while speak-

Senior Nursing Assistant Kevin Samaroo

ing at a meeting, said: “The budget focuses on improving the lives of all Guyanese…I am happy with the interventions and removal of VAT on agro-chemicals and pesticides.” Another farmer Kishore Singh, who owns a 10-acre rice plot, said he spends approximately $30,000 on chemicals. These expenses, he said, will now be lower. “It is good when these things happen. With the removal, we farmers can be able to reap the benefits by achieving a lower cost of production,” Singh said. Other stakeholders in the agriculture sector, sugar workers, will also be able to reap the benefits of Budget 2020, as government has

allocated $5B to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), of which $3B is set aside for critical works geared towards the phased re-opening of the Rose Hall, Skeldon and Enmore estates. “As a little boy growing up our parents always encouraged you to get a job at the estate because you will get the benefits, even if is not right away; so that was my goal since going to school, to work in the estate. But in 2015 you keep hearing the estate gon close and nobody believed, but when you receive the letter in 2018 you get shocked. “It was heartbreaking. But now that this government is committed to re-opening the industry, we all know that without agriculture this country is nothing and is the biggest foreign exchange [earner] in terms of the economy for the country that will remain even after oil,” 31-year-old, Hemraj Badal told the Guyana Chronicle. Oil, however, remains a critical part of Guyana’s development, as the sector unlocked new revenue and spill-off opportunities for Guyanese. ENABLING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Envisioning that more economic activities will mean more visitors and investors coming to the country, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had announced that new hotels will receive special incentives, a move which will likely attract even more investors. In an invited comment on the announcement, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Nicholas Boyer, had said that the plan is “genius” as though the pandemic may appear to be a barrier, now is the opportune time to invest in new hotels as, in just about two years, with a vaccine, the coronavirus will be a thing of the past. He averages that it takes an international-standard hotel just about two and a half years to be constructed so, when the pandemic is safely over and the economic boom begins, Guyana will not miss a beat. “I’ve seen a lot of visitors who are interested in investing in Guyana as well as in the diaspora who are interested in re-investing into Guyana. So it is understood that despite the pandemic, business tourism will grow, not this year, definitely not this year and probably not the first half of next year but…

when you put in the incentives you give the investors a kick start to their projects,” he mapped out. Those projects are however secondary right now to the ongoing fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. Government has set aside over $51 billion for the health sector, and this includes money which will be used in the regions to fight the pandemic and deal with routine ailments. Workers who have been at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic have not been overlooked. And, in recognition of their efforts, government has allocated $150 million to frontline workers. “I think that the announcement was a very timely one because as persons around the world can see, healthcare workers are actually putting their lives and the lives of their families at risk, to be on the frontline, to provide care for not only patients that are COVID-19 positive, but also other persons that come to the hospital with other conditions,” said Senior Nursing Assistant attached to the Male High Dependency Unit, Kevin Samaroo. Apart from the monetary support announced, he lobbied for a raise of pay for health workers and duty-free concessions for nurses. He also recommended that cafeterias be installed in all hospitals so that health workers can have a designated place to take their lunches and relax. While more is needed in every sector, government’s aim, as said by officials, is to be inclusive, and it is to this end that Minister Edghill said issues of disabilities are wide-ranging in Guyana, and many of the challenges are associated with the inability to diagnose at early stages, and to support those who are determined to be differently-abled. Government, he said, will continue to work at an interagency level and with stakeholder organisations to ensure that opportunities for training, employment, and effective diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitative support and services are expanded across all 10 regions. Renowned advocate for persons living with disabilities, Ganesh Singh, told this publication that the disability community remains optimistic that some of the measures in the budget will positively impact their lives. TURN TO PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Budget people-focused, goal-oriented

–– US professor, private sector laud removal of tax burden BUDGET 2020 has come at time when the country is struggling from the financial effects occasioned by the long delay in the announcement of the elections results and the COVID-19 pandemic. Its revitalisation of the business community along with the removal of tax burdens on the citizenry has set Guyana in the right direction towards recovery. This is the shared position of several business leaders who engaged in conversation on Guyana’s 2020 budget at a live event hosted by the Guyana Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) on Saturday night. In attendance were Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED), Ramesh Persaud; Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Nicholas Boyer; Executive Director of the GBPI, Dhanraj Singh; and Professor of Finance at Monroe College, New York, Mahendra Hariraj. It was moderated by Executive Director of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Richard Rambarran. In providing their thoughts on the $329.5 billion budget, introduced in Parliament on September 9, 2020, the men also explained the benefits to be derived and why they believe it should be welcomed by all Guyanese. Cutting to the chase, Hariraj said that when one examines the 2020 budget, it is clear that many of the “draconian” tax measures previously implemented by the

APNU+AFC were reversed. He explained that this increases the spending capacity of the average person which, in turn,

IPED CEO, Ramesh Persaud

will greatly benefit Guyana. PEOPLE-FOCUSED “I think the budget is people-focused, it’s goal-oriented and it’s essentially going to offer the Guyanese people the prosperity and the necessary tools to move the country from a contracting situation to more of an expansionary situation,” he said. While persons have questioned the private sector’s interest in the country’s budget and the measures embedded within, Boyer was able to explain that the policies that a government pursues inform the private sector on the areas best to invest in. He said that Budget 2020 pays attention to Guyana’s primary sectors and it is through these sectors

that the country gets its exports which bring in foreign currency which is then used by the local services sector to

GBPI Executive Director, Dhanraj Singh

support the every-day needs of citizens. “Everything starts with the productive sector. So, understanding the policies that were brought in this budget; how those policies affect the productive sector is very important,” he said. As an example, he commended the government’s decision to amend the log export policy to allow saw millers to export logs, which will boost industrial production and revenues. Boyer said that this move is “significant” as all logging communities are now earning and therefore spending more which will further stimulate the economy. Meanwhile, Ramesh Persaud agrees that Budget 2020 will increase disposable in-

‘Something for ...

BIG PLUS In speaking about the commitment outlined by Minister Edghill, Singh said rehabilitative support and services will be a “big plus” as it will help people to gain independence. Early diagnosis will also help persons to receive therapy and other necessary help in a timely manner. Singh also welcomed the more than $52 billion allocation for the education sector. The advocate remains hopeful that through this investment, more resources will be allocated towards special education needs. “We had meetings with government and we highlighted a lot of what we would like to see…we understand it would not be in 2020, but the proposed measures are ok…we are hopeful that through allocations we will get systems in place to improve the lives of persons living with disabilities,” said Singh. The advocate also commended government for the increase in old age pension, which will move from $20,500 to $25,000, from January 1, 2020. Seventy-year-old Patricia Gould

of Patentia Housing Scheme, shared with the Guyana Chronicle that she is contented with the increase and is grateful for whatever is provided to make the lives of the country’s senior citizens a little better. CONTENTED “Whatsoever I get, I’m contented; if I get more, I am grateful for it,” Mrs. Gould said, adding: “I am always contented; I go to church, and I believe in God. I don’t have a husband; my husband died six years ago, and I thank God I am making out. I have two children that are big. I don’t depend on them; they have their own responsibility.” The recently announced series of measures will also result in additional disposable incomes being made available to households. Some of these are the removal of value-added tax (VAT) on electricity, water, medical supplies, cellphones and building and construction materials. These are in keeping with government’s commitment improve incomes. “It’s an excellent move, because a lot of young persons are struggling to

come and averages that this will increase annually between $50,000 to $200,000 per annum. In dissecting his calcu-

Professor of Finance, Monroe College, New York, Mahendra Hariraj

lation, he said that he took into consideration the $25,000 COVID-19 relief grant to vulnerable households; the $15,000 cash grant per child; almost $5,000 additional for pensioners, and other savings through the removal of Value-Added Tax (VAT) or services now free to pensioners. “So, 200,000 households having an additional $50,000 in disposable income created for them, that sounds like about $10 billion right away being made available for spending,” Persaud said. MORE DISPOSABLE INCOME He continued that the removal of VAT on materials for the construction sector will

FROM PAGE

save Guyanese hundreds of thousands of dollars relative to the estimated cost of construction and this adds to their savings and disposable income.

PSC Chairman, Nicholas Boyer

Regarding the allowed importation of half-cut vehicles, vehicles over eight years old, and used tyres as catered for the budget, Persaud said that this could save some as much as $500,000 when buying a car while the overall annual maintenance of motor vehicles can be reduced by as much as $30,000 by using properly-regulated tyres. He said: “We have been contracting as an economy due to COVID-19. A lot of people are out of jobs, more than what they were prior to now. So, this is going to really inspire businesses to keep their staff on longer and also encourages businesses to restart in some aspects to get their staffing back.” Persaud said that back in 2016, he had objected to the

budget being “anti-business” and “anti-middle class” and he pleased that much of this has been reversed. MAJOR STAKEHOLDER He said that while some have written off businesses and the private sector as being only interested in tax waivers, persons must appreciate that the business community is a major stakeholder for the government as it generates revenue. Dhanraj Singh agreed with Persaud. He said that while former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, has criticised the 2020 budget as “eroding the revenue base” through its benefits to the private sector, the former administration eroded the revenue base by taxing persons into poverty. “There is something as an optimal level of taxation and beyond that point, a dollar more in taxes is hurting the economy and I think the last government has gone way past that level. The current administration, the Ali Administration, did the quite correct thing which is to bring that level back down,” he said. Guyana is already nine months into 2020, but a protracted electoral process had restricted the country from having a budget and a clear plan for the year. In just 21 days after settling into office, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) completed the budget which tackles the needs of the economy based on consultation with the requisite stakeholders.

build their homes, and they are now able to do so at a reduced price. So, kudos to the president for doing it,” said Lisa Agard, a homeowner herself, who built her home a few years ago. “The opportunity is now presented for persons to take that step in acquiring their own home; that’s a dream for the average Guyanese,” she added. As things stand currently, building materials attract a 14 per cent VAT, the removal of which will now mean that for every $1M a buyer spends on that commodity, they will save $140,000 when the measure is applied, and instead pay just $860,000. “It’s an absolutely brilliant idea! It means more monies to spend on the building,” said Neville Butts, who first started building his home some six years ago at Herstelling, on the East Bank of Demerara. Owning a vehicle is also expected to be affordable, with the reversal of the ban on used tyres and importation of vehicles eight years and older. AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE An employee of Giftland Mall,

Alex Giddings, told this publication that vehicle ownership will now be more affordable and accessible. While he does not wholly agree with the reversal of the ban on used tyres, he said the importation of vehicles eight years and older, will suit the financial budget of a lot of Guyanese. The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), in a release, had said specifically, among the measures which will lend to the development and sustaining of the mining sector are: tax concessions for recapitalization; reversal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on heavy-duty equipment/machines; the abrogation of certain unnecessarily burdensome requirements related to the licensing of equipment and the transportation of fuel, as well as hinterland infrastructural development. The GGDMA noted that the government had proposed in its manifesto for mining, the implementation of these and other measures over the years and it is satisfied with the partial fulfilment of the promises, while it was in opposition last year. The GGDMA believes that the

overall measures are exactly what the country needs at this time as they are pro-business and pro-development for the benefit of Guyanese at all levels. Minister Edghill had said he believes that budget 2020 offers hope and relief in its measures, and programmes and projects. It reflects government’s fierce dedication to ensuring a better quality of life for all Guyanese. “Our government will continue to fiercely defend our cherished democracy as we have recently done, and we will always champion upholding the rule of law. “We will continue, as always, to secure working partnerships with our private sector – from the fruit vendors to the rum producers, farmers to fishers, miners to millers, air service providers to minibus drivers. We will work within the public sector with all diligent public servants, including soldiers, police, educators, and health workers – especially those who are on the frontline – to ensure effective delivery of public services to all Guyanese, particularly at this crucial time,” said Minister Edghill.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Restorative justice, sentencing guidelines being reviewed –– prison population occupancy level at 137.5 per cent

By Rabindra Rooplall OVER the next two years, government will be addressing pre-trial detention and non-custodial measures, rehabilitation programmes for drug users, restorative justice programmes and sentencing guidelines, along with a series of legislative initiatives. This is according to Attorney-General (AG) and Legal Affairs Minister, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, during a handing over ceremony on Saturday at the Brickdam Police Station. The minister handed over a number of furnishings, equipment and other devices, as well as various law books for the court superintendent office at the said location, as part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDAB)-funded proj-

Attorney-General, Anil Nandlall; Home Affairs Minister, Roberson Benn; Commissioner of Police (ag), Nigel Hoppie and other officials inside the court superintendent office after the handing over of furnishings, equipment and other devices, as well as various law books (Adrian Narine photo)

ect, “Support for the Criminal Justice System Program (SCJS).” Government, he said, will

Monday, September 14, 2020 -- 2:00 & 14:30 HRS

also be looking at institutional strengthening of the probation services, community service programme and trainings. The Support for the Criminal Justice System Programme of the Ministry of Legal Affairs is an Inter-American Development Bank-funded Programme, which has, as its objective, the reduction of the prison population in Guyana. Minister Nandlall said recent research shows that Guyana has a prison population rate of 264 per 100,000 of national population, which significantly surpasses the world average.

The most recent available figure, he said, is at June 2019, and this shows that the occupancy level of the prison population is 137.5 per cent. The attorney-general said there is persuasive evidence to suggest that the escalating incidence of incarceration is directly related to the over-reliance of the criminal justice system on incarceration as an effective tool for addressing deviant conduct. Although the laws of Guyana provide for a limited range of alternative sentencing options, Nandlall said these measures are scarcely utilised and are compounded

further by the incapacity of the criminal justice system to adequately employ those alternative options. As the programme unfolds, he said he will continue to work closely with a number of stakeholders to collaboratively attain the reformation of the criminal justice system. Stakeholders, he said, include the judiciary, the magistracy, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the Guyana Prison Service, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), among others. The legal affairs minister said the collective input of these stakeholders coupled with research and necessity, has resulted in many measures and activities, which will all culminate in addressing the general problem of prison overcrowding. TWO-WAY STREET Underscoring that the criminal justice system is a two-way street, Minister Nandlall said on one hand, there is the defendant or the accused and on the other hand, there is the victim. “While the crime may be committed against the victim, personally, it is a crime against the State. The victim’s interest is also the public interest. Criminal justice is about balancing these competing interests. On the one hand, the defendant or the accused is presumed innocent, and the State must prove his guilt. He is guaranteed a fair trial as a constitutional right. On the other hand, the victim and by extension the public’s interest must also be

protected. The State’s interest must also be canvased fairly before the court,” the attorney-general explained. This function, he said, is performed by the prosecution and it is fundamental to balancing these competing interests in ensuring that each side is adequately represented in that adversarial system. “One of the activities embraced by this programme is the strengthening of the prosecutorial arm of the State. This component of the programme is aimed at enhancing the Chambers of the DPP as well as the Prosecutor’s Office of the GPF. It is this component of the programme that we celebrate today,” the attorney-general said. The programme, the minister said, in its quest to strengthen the prosecutorial arm of the State has given support to the Office of the DPP and the GPF, both at Brickdam and at New Amsterdam, Berbice. Further, Minister Nandlall explained that the programme supported civil works at Brickdam, which commenced in January of 2020 and concluded in June of 2020. He said the works included the provision of construction services, namely rehabilitation, electrical installation, plumbing installation and painting. Similarly, at the Prosecutor’s Office located at Berbice, the programme is privileged to also support the rehabilitation of that office along with the provision of electrical, plumbing and painting services. The DPP Chambers also acquired support to bolster provision of its services.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Corentyne poultry farmer gets help

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, hands over the items to poultry farmer, Abdul Rasheed Latiff

POULTRY farmer, Abdul Rasheed Latiff, who suffered in excess of $4M in losses after his poultry farm was flooded, recently received 300 chicks and 100 bags of poultry feed to assist with resuming his operations. The items were handed over by Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, while on an outreach to several villages and communities along the East Berbice, Corentyne area. While visiting the area, Minister Mustapha informed the farmer that the donation is part of the assistance that will be given to the affected farmers in the area. “After I visited the area and saw the amount of damage that was done to your farms, I met with a number of private individuals who expressed their willingness to help. Of course, you know

that we are working without a budget so there wasn’t much that the government could do at this time. However, I made it my duty to reach out to public-spirited citizens and I’m here today to make good on the promises made during my last visit,” Minister Mustapha said. Minister Mustapha also disclosed that other farmers who were affected will soon receive their packages. He said an additional 1,500 to 2,000 birds and genetic materials will be made available before the end of September 2020. He further noted that the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) has been working with the affected farmers in the area by hosting workshops to educate them on how to effectively construct their pens and

properly dispose of animal remains. Latiff, one of the largest poultry farmers in the community, suffered over $4M in losses after his chicken farm, which is located in Number 57 Village, Corentyne, was flooded. Last month, on a visit to the affected areas, residents also complained about clogged drains, which they said contributed to the flooding. Minister Mustapha instructed the officials from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority to conduct emergency works to have the drains desilted. “I’m pleased to see that the drains have been cleaned. This will assist you with your drainage needs so you wouldn’t have a repeat of what took place a few weeks

House owned by ‘Nations’ director burglarised

A HOUSE owned by principal of ‘Nations,’ Dr. Brian O’Toole, was burglarised for the second time, on Saturday night. Dr. O’Toole told the Guyana Chronicle that the house, located in Bel Air, has been unoccupied for over a year, but persons have been using the opportunity to burglarise the house. “We moved out since I got shot… but this is the second time they broke into the house,” said the principal in an invited comment on Sunday evening. He believes that, because the house was ransacked already and the persons knew what they were looking for. Among some of the things he claimed were missing, are a robot pool cleaner and a pool pump. “They are running out

Principal of Nations, Dr. Brian O’Toole

of things to steal… there is nothing left,” said Dr. O’Toole, adding that persons who happen to come across the robot pool cleaner or pool pump should make contact with the police. The 64-year-old man has had a string of misfortunes over the past year, as he was shot twice in both forearms.

The Guyana Police Force launched an investigation into the shooting and threats and has since questioned a narrowed-down number of current and former students of the private school. It was last reported that investigations are ongoing.

ago during the rainy season. I want to assure you that this will be an ongoing activity. As Agriculture Minister, I will ensure that the drains are cleared on a regular basis so that our farmers so not suffer,” he said. Minister Mustapha also met with a number of other farmers in several communities along the East Berbice, Corentyne area, where he reassured them that government is committed to improving the lives of all Guyanese. At Whim, Minister Mustapha committed to having 10 solar lights for the community. The lights will be given to the regional office and the

regional chairman will work along with the residents for them to decide on the appropriate placements During his engagement with the farmers, several issues such drainage and irrigation, paddy bug infestation and access farm lands, among others, were raised. The minister informed those in attendance that over the past few weeks, he has put several systems in place to address urgent matters. “I’ve visited farmers in Region Three, Five and Six so far and I’ve instructed the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority to carry out a series of emergency works.

Recently, I went to Cabinet and approval was given for $29M to be disbursed to carry out emergency works to several dams. Rest assured that once a budget is passed, government will be able to do a lot more in your communities,” Minister Mustapha said. Villages along the East Berbice, Corentyne area that were visited during the outreach were #66 Fisher Folk Corp, #63 Village, Crabwood Creek, Whim, Letter Kenny, Bloomfield, Reliance and Canefield.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Prison Reform

ATTORNEY GENERAL and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, at the handing over ceremony for the Criminal Justice System Programme of the Ministry of Legal Affairs which was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), expressed concern at the overcrowding of Guyana’s prisons. He has often stated his perturbation at the disparity in sentencing practices where large numbers of offenders who should and could have been sentenced to community services are often sent to prison for lengthy durations, while multiple-time perpetrators of violent crimes, such as armed robbery and home invasions, who pose danger to society and who were apprehended with great effort by police ranks are given a figurative rap on the knuckles. The latter instances de-motivate

the police, who face censure from the public and are blamed when the freed criminals, once again let loose on a hapless society, return to their criminal forays, oftentimes with tragic consequences for their victims. Quoting extant circumstances and statistics, AG Nandlall related: “…programme focuses on two specific problems, namely, the over-reliance of the justice criminal system on custodial sentencing and the over-use of pre-trial detention. Recent research shows that Guyana has a prison population rate of 264 per 100,000 of the national population, which significantly surpasses the world average. The most recent available figure at June 2019 shows that the occupancy level of the prison population is 135.05 per cent. There is persuasive evidence to suggest that the escalating incidence

of incarceration is directly related to over-reliance of the criminal justice system on incarceration as an effective tool for addressing deviant conduct, Although the laws of Guyana provide sentencing options, these measures are scarcely utilised and is compounded further by the incapacity of the criminal justice system to adequately employ those alternate options. “As the programme unfolds, it will continue to work closely with a number of stakeholders to collaboratively attain the reformation of the criminal justice system. Stakeholders include the judiciary, the magistracy, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the Guyana Prison Service, the Guyana Police Force, and the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions, among others. “The collective inputs of these

stakeholders, coupled with research and [provision of]necessities, and engendering the employ of a number of measures and activities will culminate in addressing the general problem of prison over-crowding.” However, all the stakeholders have to be cognisant of, generally, the main contributory factors to creation of criminal characters and actions. Substance abuse is not to be under-rated for its destructive consequences to the human psyche. The most normally moral and decent human beings are sometimes driven to desperate and deviant behaviour as a result of uncontrollable cravings; single and working parents who are unable to make adequate provisions for child-care, leaving them vulnerable to predatory elements in the society, among a multitude of other social problems

which, if adequately addressed, would significantly reduce instances of criminal behaviour. Prisons have inmates with various skills, and those with the requisite potential to learn new skills. There are kinds of possibilities whereby these skills can be utilised for prison rehabilitation and early re-integration into the wider society. Prisoners are humans who, if properly treated and guided, with mandatory counselling and significant input into their rehabilitation, would eventually cease to be burdens on society and instead become responsible citizens contributing to the well-being of their families and the wider society, thus rendering prison over-crowding a negative feature of prison reform.

More proof of the legacy of a PNC’s unfavourable post-election result lives on Dear editor, OVER the past week, Guyana went to hell and back, having survived the travesty of a distorted absurdity that Guyanese were hoping would not emerge with its ugly face so quickly (at least not until another five years perhaps, if at all). But the dream was shortlived and as they say, “the rest is history.” Having imbibed on the regular week-end inhibitions, a sobered society is waking up to the stark reality that Guyana had traversed an unwanted path; they have indulged in an embarrassing engagement that has deepened

a shame; encouraged, induced and enticed by a couple of false leaders whose deceptive methods have harmed the pure relationships that they had previously enjoyed with their neighbours, regardless of political affiliation; and now, they are burdened with atonement and know not the path to relieve a guilty conscience. Granger, Harmon and Gladston Henry read the same Bible, but they do not see Jesus Christ, “eyeball to eyeball.” (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump took aim at people protesting racism and police brutality, saying they are “just looking for

trouble.” “They’re not protesters,” Trump said at a rally at the airport in Manchester, New Hampshire, last month. “Those are anarchists, they’re agitators, they’re rioters, they’re looters.” Sounds familiar? Guyana is well known as copycats; ask Dave Martin, he gon say, “The Tradewinds told yu so.” “Black Lives Matter” quickly (rightly) adopted its place in Guyana, the only difference is that coloureds are the majority in Guyana, not white and, Afro Guyanese dominate 90 per cent of the Public Service employment. I am sure Guyanese are alerted to the new trend in America since the 19th 911 observance i.e.,

“Blue Lives Matter.” How soon Guyanese? At the last Republic National Convention, the convention tried to sell a version of Trump a lot of Americans don’t recognise. Volda Lawrence was quickly recognised at the Ashmin Building during her outburst at the Mingo fiasco, but in Berbice last week? A lot of Guyanese didn’t recognise the character who presented a carefully worded persuasion that articulated a circumambulated transformation! It was showtime for a cat and dog spar to flex the muscle. Is someone nursing a wound? Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon on Thursday condemned

President Irfaan Ali’s claims that protesters against the killing of three youths had also raped innocent people. “There are no known police reports of any rape associated with recent protest actions. Yet Mr. Ali, in his statement, among other charges, said ‘raping people’s children has nothing to do with justice.’ What rape Mr. Ali? This is a figment of your speechwriter’s imagination,” Mr Harmon said. Shortly afterwards, the President’s office did correct and adjust the issue that belonged to a prior period when the subject matter had occurred. TURN TO PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

My side of the coin

Dear editor,

I WISH to make it pellucid that my heart stands for that which is right and that which is beneficial for Guyana. I will never do anything in our country, or anywhere else for that matter, that would be inimical to law, order, goodwill, and/or harmony. I have always been a man to follow the ideals of peace and justice, and I will forever be that man to uphold these ideals. I am writing this missive with a great deal of pain and sorrow in my heart for what is currently prevailing in our country. It breaks my heart that there are political forces that are seeking to create disharmony and affect lives, even as the country weeps, in order to push their sinister agendas. Unquestionably no question, the murders of Isaiah Henry, Joel Henry, and Haresh Singh was absolutely barbaric, uncivilised, and incomprehensible to ordinary minds. I cried a lot, my family cried, almost everyone cried. In the tragic murder of Isaiah and Joel Henry, one could see that it had no bearing to coconuts. The manner in which they were murdered – with the X on their heads – suggested gang violence and/or drug connections. I am not suggesting that these young men were involved in drugs, but this theory of being gang-related was somewhat confirmed when their childhood friend, Haresh Singh, was murdered in a similar manner just days later. I am saying they may have seen something which these gangs felt they needed to wipe out. However, the political rhetoric and the visitation of the various areas by the opposition, where people suddenly turned up, showed interference in the police investigation to create disharmony and possibly, in some misconceived way, the downfall of the government of Guyana. Innocent

people suffered, men were killed, stripped, beaten, chopped; women were robbed and violated. And, to add salt to the victims’ wounds, the encouragement by the opposition was deeply disheartening. Leader of the Opposition Joseph Harmon went on to vociferously encourage protesters, “this response is a correct response, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” It boggles my mind to think that certain political powerhouses do not understand that when they do these things, it has a tendency to affect them in the long run. In the scheme of things in the universe, what you put out is what you would receive. One of the Henry boys’ father indicated that they do not want any of this kind of behaviour. They are God’s people, and they love and value all races. But his voice and the voice of that of his wife went in vain to those with sinister plans. What has happened in Guyana in these last few days has placed certain political personalities into a position where they would be looked down upon for a very long time to come. It is troubling that in a time of mourning, their goal is that of dominance. Instead of listening, being responsible, loving, and fair, and inspiring others to live in harmony and peace, they swept the words of the parents of the Henry boys under the rug and used the opportunity to fan racial and political warfare. As a result of what was happening, the violence against a specific ethnic group, that is, I gave some advice as a Security Operative Specialist. I did the same thing in Bath Settlement when the school bus was attacked. The children were injured and I condemned it. Likewise, I condemned the incident that occurred recently. As I mentioned earlier, I gave advice on how to protect themselves, Guyana, or in this case, the people who were beaten and killed in the community “to form protection

groups, equipped with batons and sticks for self-defence only.” This was intended to say, do not bring sharp tools or other equipment that could seriously harm others. Use them only for self-defence, if, under threat, protect your group, defend it, but never be the aggressor. I really cannot comprehend why the opposition and certain people are holding this against me and why they are trying to get an argument out of it. Is Mr. Harmon trying to shift the tension on me so as to take the pressure off his back for what he and Mr. Granger said while visiting the families of these youths? I mean, since my comment, political personnel have used their social media trolls to try to disaffect me and make me uncomfortable by the use of intimidation when it was THEY who made racial and divisive statements. I, on the other hand, gave only protective advice. In the words of Mr David Granger, after visiting the families of Isaiah and Joel Henry, he said, “We have to establish some self-defence in our society to protect our children, protect our women, our young people. Unless we protect ourselves, nobody is going to protect us.” This, he said, in response to protests which broke out calling for justice for the teens. Am I missing something here? Shouldn’t they call themselves out as well?! Is the pot really calling the kettle black? I wish to make it pellucid that the word ‘Indian’ is not an obnoxious word, nor are the words ‘indigenous’ or ‘African.’ In this case, it was the Indians who were beaten, mauled, trashed and killed, whose homes and vehicles were burnt and for whom the APNU or the ERC, for which I am ashamed, did not even — after asking them to do something — make any criticism or consideration of the Indian people who suffered. So, I used the term ‘Indian,’ the same way I would have used the words ‘Indigenous,’ or ‘African,’ or ‘Chi-

nese,’ or anyone else being taken advantage of; I would have had to identify them. In Guyana, the Indians are progressive and contribute to its national growth and development. I reiterate the term Indian is not an obnoxious word. Buy why is Mr Harmon and now in the league with the ERC, make it seem that the use of the term Indian is a dirty word? I am disappointed that the ERC has allowed itself to be manipulated, which seems to be dominated by Mr Joseph Harmon, while at the same time making statements to try and humiliate and destroy me. The Chairman of the ERC, without consultation or discussion from my perspective, or following the proper protocol, went to the media and engaged in the defamation of my character which is currently being investigated by my lawyers. I am of the view that the ERC’s senior management needs to demonstrate more decorum, professionalism, and management skills in order to prevent the ERC being looked down upon as an unprofessional and biased entity. Subsequently, I would like to also highlight the fact that there is one commissioner, who is considered to be extremely difficult, and who has written the Chronicle -- during the previous government -- to say some very negative things about Justice Claudette Singh. Negative remarks, which included that she is “mentally ill.” However, the leadership of the ERC and Mr Harmon did nothing to bring attention to that commissioner. So, why was I handpicked by Mr Harmon and the ERC? It is my personal opinion that Mr. Joseph Harmon has plants in the ERC who carry out his biddings. I have never held this opinion before, I have always been objective and professional, but my stance has changed after witnessing the skulduggery that took place just before the elections, after the elections and at the count and the recount. I am

convinced that he has plants, or “intelligence specialists,” as he says, to get his intelligence. He has various people around to seek employment in various organisations, including my own, to pick information and take it back to him. All of this made me remember the number of individuals in the former governing coalition who tried to destroy me and my business. I feel that now that they are out of power, and because I — in unison with the United Nations, the United States of America, India, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, CARICOM, Suriname, most of South America, the African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries, aka as the ACP countries, and the Mandela Elders Group of South Africa — stood up, as an observer, to say what they were doing was wrong; they are out to disaffect me, again. I had to speak the truth at the count and recount of the polls and stand with those who helped Guyana secure a democratically elected government. In addition, I am actively involved in reading newspaper articles and making commentaries, all in my personal capacity which has all gone viral. For this, I was clearly marked and heavily branded by the coalition. In view of all this, there has been a conspiracy to use their trolls to threaten anyone or anything that has to do with me in order to create pressure. Now that we have a democratically elected government, I had hoped that the opposition would embrace civilised norms and strive for goodwill and integrity in Guyana. For almost half a year, we have seen their devastation in their attempt to steal an election and a country. Their attempts clashed with further economic destruction caused by the prevailing pandemic which added more pain to our citizens and country. TURN TO PAGE

More proof of the legacy of a PNC’s ... Past President David Granger on Monday attributed the killing and mutilation of two youths at the weekend to the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) failure to condemn post-elections unrest in West Berbice earlier this year, but President Irfaan Ali and Vice-president Bharrat Jagdeo denied his claims. “It is their attitude! If on the 6th of March, they had condemned what happened here on the West Coast Berbice -- the ston-

ing of the school buses and the vandalism that occurred -- this would not have occurred, but they are sending a message that sort of behaviour is normal; they could do it again and again,” he said. Mr. Granger lauded the residents for sending a message that “we are not going to put up with this nonsense.” But VP Bharrat Jagdeo was quick to respond, saying, “This is a politician who has failed to do anything in five years to improve relations and Mr

Granger doesn’t read much because [if] he were to go now to look at the party’s (PPP) Facebook page, you would see a condemnation of the bus incident on the party’s page. I personally approved that and put it on the party’s page.” To date, there has not been any retort from the sheltered visitor. Ever heard the story of two bald men wrangling over a comb? Mr. Granger must have been imbibing in mental telepathy with a prognosis that spelled his

parliamentary isolation in the near future, and his political exclusion in a limited autonomy. His power extinction is a quick retreat through the back door in a quiet and subtle manner and in a slow, metamorphosed process. As a tired and beaten person, he is an affront to his family’s dignity and should be encouraged to draw the curtains and bow to the call of a sedated life style. One of the die-hard and old fateful of the PNC

had said, “To those advocating exclusion of others from involvement in the nation’s management and decision-making, on whatever pretext, such action is not only promoting discrimination and alienation of sections of society, but could eventually lead to destabilisation and social unrest.” This pre-meditated threat did materialise and Berbice did burn; this being another proof that the legacy of a PNC’s unfavourable

FROM PAGE

post-elections result was brought forward and will be carried forward. “Big Jail” is about to re-open for the Christmas semester, but the “Headmaster” will be in school on the 1718th September. Watch how all dem schoolchildren gon be on them Ps and Qs with dem mouth and tails yu know where! Respectfully, Jai Lall

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Rice farmers complain about late payment –– government looking for long-term solution to issue, says Min. Mustapha FARMERS on the Essequibo Coast have expressed dissatisfaction with the lengthy periods they are forced to wait for payment for paddy from millers during a meeting with Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday. During several meetings in the region, the minister reassured the farmers that government will be working with farmers and millers to ensure that the issue of untimely payments is a thing of the past. “I understand your frustrations. We have been engaging millers to find [a] long-term solution to this issue. It has been going on for some time and it is time our millers honour their obligation to pay farmers,” Minister Mustapha said. By law, millers are required to pay farmers within 42 days of receiving paddy. Several millers who were present indicated that as much as they understand farmers’ need to be paid, they are owed millions of dollars for shipments of rice supplied to markets such as Panama and as a result they are unable to pay farmers on time. Minister Mustapha informed the gathering that government is actively engaging Panamanian officials to get the payments for these shipments as soon as possible. “When government came into office one of the first interventions we made was to engage the Panamanian

Government as it relates to these outstanding payments. Guyana is owed $1.9B for

Users’ Association, said that several systems need to be put in place to ensure that all

STRANGE “Farmers have been complaining that when they take

once again benefit from government subvention, we will engage them, as the body re-

WUA Representative Naith Ram

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

rice supplied from two shipments. His Excellency would have contacted Panamanian government officials and they have acknowledged this debt. They are asking for a little time to pay, given the financial impact of the current global pandemic. We are hoping that payments can commence before the end of the year,” Minister Mustapha said. Mr. Naith Ram, a representative from the Water

farmers in the region benefit. “There needs to be a proper water-management schedule implemented. When one group of farmers is not getting water, we find that there are high incidences [sic] of tampering to critical drainage and irrigation structures,” Ram said. He further stated that there needs to be some investigation by the relevant authorities as it relates to weighing of paddy at the mills.

ECC President Rupan Ramotar

their paddy to one mill and weigh it, they get one weight. When they take the same paddy to another mill, they get a different weight. There needs to be a farmers’ representative at these mills minister,” Ram said. Minister Mustapha said he will engage the Rice Producers’ Association (RPA) to have an officer stationed at the mills to ensure these issues are addressed. “Now that the RPA will

sponsible for farmers’ rights, to have an officer at these mills to ensure that farmers get the right weight at these mills. We will also be looking into having grading officers at the mills more regularly, so that farmers can benefit from accurately graded paddy,” the minister said. President of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce (ECC), Rupan Ramotar, while addressing the gathering encouraged the farmers to ex-

My side of the ... I have repeatedly said that Guyana is on the throes of greatness and that the opposition needs to establish a close relationship with the government, and vice versa. They need to build an environment of trust and faith, so the government can look at the possibility of shared governance and the possibility of constitutional reform that will offer power to the various segments of our society. But, then came the death of Isaiah Henry and Joel Henry. With immediate effect, a lawyer and two social commentators associated with the former government, now the opposition, began to incite people.

If Sherod Duncan of the AFC, Mr. Chris Jones of the APNU, and Attorney-at-law Darren Wade, who were apparently sent by their leaders, had not used the opportunity to incite people, but instead had advised them to wait and see while the police were investigating, innocent people would not have been killed. Our country is greatly blessed with an abundance of natural resources that make us the envy of the world. What else do we want? Guyana’s political leaders, I speak as an Ambassador for Peace and a man who genuinely loves this country: you all

need to find ways to talk with dignity and to build a state of calm in the minds of the people. You need to find ways to eliminate in the minds of those with a penchant for revenge, those who are hurt by the events of the past days, and find mechanisms to compensate those whose homes and/or businesses have been ruined and whose lives have been lost, so that their families can survive fairly well, albeit in a lifetime of pain and depression. I call on those political leaders who want to ruin people’s lives to realise that these things are not healthy. No one lives

plore diversification. “I am a miller and I want to state openly that I do not owe any farmer. However, I want to encourage farmers to diversify their cultivation. There are two crops per year. When you are out of crop you can plant something else that can help to sustain you and your family while you wait on payment from millers. Although rice is important, it is time we move away from solely planting rice,” Ramotar said. Farmers also raised concerns about the quality of fertilisers coming to the region. The minister informed farmers that he will have his officers reach out to the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) to monitor the quality of these fertilisers. Mustapha also highlighted some of the immediate interventions farmers can look forward to from the emergency budget. “We’ve only been in office for about a month, and already we’ve fulfilled 12 of the campaign promises for the agriculture sector. We’ve taken the VAT off fertilisers, agro-chemicals and pesticides. We’ve also taken the decision to reverse increases in land-lease fees for lands under cultivation, and land taxes and drainage and irrigation charges, back to their 2014 position. Those are just some of the measures put in place to assist our farmers from this emergency four-month budget,” the minister said.

FROM PAGE

forever, none of us do; the little time we have left, according to our ages, is the best of wealth. We must use this little wealth of life in such a way as to secure a place in history that our Creator and Lord will be pleased with us. In the end, we are all going to leave this world and the legacy we create -- good or bad -- is what people and history are going to remember us by. A part two will follow in the near future. Sincerely, Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Youths clear mangrove forest of plastic waste By Lisa Hamilton

A GROUP of youths have taken matters into their own hands to rid a sizeable portion of the Vreed-en-Hoop mangrove forest of yards of plastic bottles and garbage that had piled up over the years, due to littering. The littered area is located near the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) power station at the Vreed-en-Hoop stelling. There, thousands of plastic bottles, now browned by the mud, have accumulated after being dumped in the waterway, often out of river taxis. The young people began their activity on Friday, but were only able to clear a portion of the pile. They plan to return on Sunday, with even more support, so that the mangroves in the area can thrive and Guyanese can learn from their example about the dangers of littering. The Guyana Chronicle reached out to 22-year-old biology student at the University of Guyana, Kevin Somwaru, who told the newspaper more about the motivation behind the initiative. “When we saw it, [myself and] two of my friends from a project they were working on called Green Thumb Creatives, we decided

that we were going to clean the area up. So, we posted on social media to highlight that there’s an issue and that if anyone wanted to come they should feel free. We had lots of young people reaching out and saying ‘hey we want to help’,” Somwaru was pleased to note. Persons came on board from the EcoTrust Society, the University of Guyana Biology Club, the WE Movement, Green Thumb Creatives. There were also several individuals from the area. Somwaru said that the garbage pile-up is so great that it would probably take a month’s effort to clean up, depending on how many are willing to assist. “The entire idea behind it is to rally towards a more environmentally-friendly Guyana; to have people think more about conservation, about their environment. This is especially important because plastics are really, really destructive to mangroves and our marine species and that specific area is a mangrove forest and, if we have garbage accumulating there it will cause the mangroves to die out and eventually exposing our coastline which will lead to erosion and potential flooding in the future,” the biology student informed the public. As the youths pick up the plastic bottles

Youths clean up yards of plastic bottles affecting the growth of mangroves in Vreed-en-Hoop

Some of the young people involved and place them in large garbage bags, the aim isn’t just to dump them at a landfill but to recycle them, perhaps with Guyana’s new Eco 2000 Batch Mix Asphalt Plant. The state-of-the-art machinery can use plastic bags and bottles, as well as used tires to pave roads. As the team works, they also adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines and are inviting other Guyanese to come on board as many hands can see the clean-up activities being completed much sooner than expected. He promotes the ‘we see it, we snap it and we

fix it’ mentality as, through his experience, utilising social media to create awareness and a will for activism has its benefits. Somwaru said: “We are the future so we might as well have the mindset from now. I say ‘We see it, we snap it and we fix it’. When you see an issue, you snap it because with social media if you post something, you find that persons who share the same view or persons who want to get on board will come together, and then you’ll have a following and an influence to get it fixed.”

The area before the clean-up intervention

Religious leaders call for calm, healing –– during Day of Prayer in memory of the three fallen Berbician teens ON Sunday, religious leaders of all denominations gathered together for a National Day of Prayer, calling for serenity, calm and unity as the country mourned the death of the three teenagers who were brutality slain in what is widely believed to be a hate crime. Over the past week, Guyana has been rocked by pockets of civil unrest, some of them decidedly violent, after the mutilated bodies of two teen cousins, 16-year-old Isaiah Henry and 19-year-old Joel Henry were found last Sunday aback Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice, some three villages away from Number Three, where they

were both born and raised. Two days later, another teen, this time around 17-year-old Haresh Singh, was found slain, in much the same gruesome manner and in the exact same area as the Henry boys were. In the wake of the series of events that followed the murders, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, held a meeting with a number of leaders from the religious community, and together they agreed to participate in a National Day of Prayer. The virtual meeting was organised on Friday, September 11, 2020 by the Minis-

try of Human Services And Social Security, since it was recognised that there was an urgent need to partner with the leaders to help the most vulnerable, and foster peace, love and unity within the nation. During the meeting, the leaders candidly expressed their concerns to the Minister on the difficult period being experienced in Guyana, and made valuable recommendations to forge harmony throughout the Nation. “From the discussion, a Support and Heal Network was established to engender continuous dialogue and programmes that will benefit the most vulnerable, drawing

on the experiences of the religious community to foster love and unity,” Minister Persaud stated. Additionally, the Ministry committed to supporting the religious organisations, by offering them training in such critical areas as domestic violence and sexual abuse. The Day of Prayer commenced early Sunday morning, and was live-streamed on social media, and saw religious leaders from the Hindu, Christian, Muslim and Rastafarian communities collaborating for peace to reign across the nation.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Children’s mental health and adults

THE whole world is watching, waiting, hoping and praying that more positive times are just around the corner and that circumstances will get better soon. In the meantime, everyone is being affected by the COVID 19 pandemic in one way or another. Some adults understand the stress they are under and find ways to manage and cope with their feelings of uncertainty. They do not want to affect their children or other members of their household. Managing stress is difficult at the best of times without the added pressures of a pandemic. But we must stay optimistic and focused, especially when caring for our loved ones or when spending quality time with children. If you are feeling low or depressed, try to get some space and time alone, when you can concentrate on more pleasant and pleasing aspects of life. While alone, try to find something fun or entertaining to distract you, such

as a funny video, some meditation music or your favourite songs. You can do a word search or crossword puzzle until the mood passes, and you feel a little brighter. Interact with others from a place of understanding and tolerance, rather than a place of anger, frustration or despair. When we carry around negative energy and share it through our actions or words, it does not help the situation. Even if you blame someone else for triggering your mood and reactions, how you deal with a situation is a good indicator of your state of mind. Are you exercising self-control? Breathing exercises work if you need to practise staying cool, calm and collective; you can choose from different techniques: breathing exercises can become an easy and effective coping mechanism that costs nothing and is priceless. Physical exercise is an excellent way to clear the mind and keep active; find a sport or exer-

cise routine online that suits your lifestyle. Exercise for a minimum of 15 minutes per day, every day, to energise your body. The pandemic has mentally affected many parents and adults, but children have also been coping with circumstances and events they wouldn’t usually experience. They have been spending more time than usual with adults and siblings, (a situation which could be toxic), not interacting or playing with peers, or enjoying the consistency that school brings, along with its drama, action and rules. (which is a normal part of their childhood). Their formation of childhood memories at this time is not typical; for some children, they are already distinctly tainted. Parents and family members can help children by offering support and encouragement, inspiration and motivation. If adults are staying focused and level–headed, they can help children cope

and build resilience for the future. There is no harm in adults asking children and young people, ‘How are you doing’? Or, ‘How are you feeling?’ from time to time. It will help children get used to talking more, because they know that someone cares enough to listen. Many parents have a habit of comparing how a child feels to how they are feeling: they lack the sensitivity to naturally initiate engagement on the child’s level. They believe their problems and responsibilities outweigh whatever the child is experiencing, therefore, the child has no issues. Only ‘big people’ have ‘real’ stress. Children are discouraged by adults who are consistently on their phones; or when adults appear disinterested or distracted during a conversation. Disparaging remarks made by adults, with regard to how good children have it and how hard parents struggle, can also prevent children from interacting.

To help children and young people through this pandemic, adults and parents must stay involved in their lives. Showing an interest in the things that are important to children makes it easier to spot when something is brewing or when problems arise. Support their mental health by encouraging their interests, help them to be creative, active and learn new skills while interacting and staying connected with peers when possible. Try to create a structure for children around a routine, so the times they eat, bathe, exercise, do homework and sleep are relatively consistent. A good night’s sleep is essential for a clear mind and healthy body. Spending long hours on video games is a good distraction, but do nothing for a child’s developing brain. An addiction to video games cannot compensate for socio-emotional stimulation or the structured education that schools provide; so create some balance in your child’s everyday

Onderneeming man shot in foot

THE quietude of an Onderneeming Sandpit Village, Region Two family was ruined on Saturday evening, when two mask men intruded their yard. According to information reaching the Guyana Chronicle, tailor, Narindra Persaud, and his wife were on their veranda when the incident reportedly occurred around 19:45 hours. Based on reports, he was shot in the foot during a suspected armed robbery. According to the 39-year-old tailor, he and his wife were approached by the two masked men from the side of the house. The suspects reportedly held the two victims at gunpoint and told them to remain quiet. The man and his wife began screaming for help and ran into their house through the front veranda, which was left open. As the

The house the robbers invaded on Saturday evening

victims fled, the masked men opened fire in their direction. The tailor reportedly received injuries to his foot and cried out in pain. The suspects later fled the scene.

The police were summoned and the tailor was escorted to the Suddie Public Hospital where he received medical attention and was later discharged. The suspects are said to be hiding in the Onderneem-

ing backdam. Residents at a number of community meetings have called for a police outpost in the area to tackle criminal activities there.

activities. Reassurance, love and guidance from practical, realistic adults with positive outlooks on life, is what children and young people need. Allow them to talk about what they think and feel; if possible, create a quiet space where they can open up. Listen to them; try to help them understand what they are feeling and the reasons why. We are all under strain in one way or another, but remember, these are their childhood memories, let us make them as ‘normal’ and fulfilling as we possibly can. If you are concerned about the welfare of a child call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY

Miner dies in Mazaruni River mishap AN investigation has been launched into the death of a 39-year-old miner during the course of a boat accident in the vicinity of Bush Cow Landing, on the Mazaruni River, in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). The miner has been identified as Kary Henry of Jawalla Village, in the same Region Seven. Reports are that on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at about 23:00hrs, Henry and three other persons were travelling in a wooden boat on their way to the Beanamarupai Backdam, when the vessel collided with a floating log. The impact reportedly caused Henry to be thrown into the river, and one of his fellow passengers to be injured in the head. Word is that the boat, was captained by a 24-year-old fellow miner of Kabauri Village. Henry’s body was found around 08:00hrs on Sunday following a thorough search of the spot where the accident occurred, and has since been taken to the Imbamadai Health Post to await a post mortem examination.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Essequibo Coast gets boost to fight COVID-19 THE Indian High Commission has donated medical supplies and essential items to the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry to assist in their efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to assist the people of Essequibo in this difficult situation. The medical supplies donated include COVID-19 test kits, infrared thermometer, KN95 masks, surgical masks, hand sanitisers, nitrile gloves, hazmat suits and cleaning agents. The High Commission organised these items for donation to the chamber through the full support of the Bank of Baroda in Guyana. Indian High Commissioner, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa and Bank of Baroda, Managing Director, Arun Kumar Gupta, handed over the items to the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the presence of Regional Executive Officer, Devanand Ramdatt; Vice-President of the Chamber, Suean Seewnarayan; and Regional Health Officer, Dr. Afarah Khan. On September 2, the Government of India has extended assistance of US$1M to the Government

Indian High Commissioner, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa with Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice-President, Suean Seewnarayan, at the handing over held recently

of Guyana for combating COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance is aimed at improving health infrastructure and capacities in Guyana and to enable the people of Guyana to receive more COVID-19-related medical care and health services.

This assistance of US$1 million from India will be used for improving healthcare in Guyana, and for procurement of life-saving medical supplies and equipment. Under this assistance, 29 ventilators, 4800 PPE-clothing coverall, 4799 masks,

4366 face shields, 70 boxes of examination gloves, and various other supplies will be procured. Besides these, the Government of India has provided 30,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets to Guyana as a gesture of goodwill in support of its fight against

COVID-19. The Bank of Baroda (Guyana) is a subsidiary of the Bank of Baroda, India’s International Bank. The Bank of Baroda offers a full range of financial services with local branches, an international network and correspondent

Thieves visit Anna Regina stall ESSEQUIBO businessman, Fredericks Jones, was, on Sunday morning, shocked after he discovered that his stall at Anna Regina, Region Two was broken into and an undisclosed amount of cash was stolen. According to Jones, he secured his stall and went home on Saturday afternoon. When he visited Sunday morning, he noticed the padlocks on the shutter doors were broken. It was then he realised that he was robbed and immediately went and check for his cash

canister where he had stored all the money from sales on Friday and Saturday but could not find it. The businessman immediately made a report to the Anna Regina Police Station where officers visited. The CCTV camera was checked by police and cops managed to identify one of the suspects; two persons are still on the run. No arrest was made. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.

The stall that was broken into at Anna Regina on Sunday

banks located in 24 countries around the world providing exceptional international linkages. The Bank of Baroda (Guyana) Inc. was one of the earliest overseas branches of Bank of Baroda. It was established in Georgetown, Guyana on March 31, 1966, less than a year after the formation of the Bank of Guyana, and prior to Guyana’s independence. In 1999, the overseas branch in Guyana was converted to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank of Baroda. In 2012, the bank established a branch in Mon Repos on the East Coast of Demerara. It now has two branches in Guyana. The bank is committed to bringing new technology to Guyana. Having its own correspondent bank in New York, it is also in the process of introducing a few technology-enabled products and services like SMS Alert, mobile banking facility, etc. in Guyana. They proposed to open three to four new branches and are also contemplating opening a new branch in the Essequibo region after completing a feasibility study.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

UG admits student population severely affected by COVID-19

–– Min. Manickchand calls on Vice-Chancellor to engage the 600-odd dropouts, so as to get them back on board By Tamica Garnett MINISTER of Education Priya Manickchand on Friday revealed that more than 600 students have discontinued their studies at the University of Guyana (UG) during the COVID-19 pandemic, while a petition calling for the institution to either cancel or reduce its annual $50,000 “Facilities Fee” has gained new momentum over the past weekend. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, UG Student Society (UGSS) President, Jafar Gibbons noted that while the Vice-Chancellor has confirmed that students will be granted a $5000 fee reduction for this coming semester, similar to what

obtained in the preceding semester, the UGSS is looking for a more substantial decrease. “Our position is that we are looking at a $20,000 fee instead of $50,000. If not lowering it to $20,000, we are looking at it being exempted altogether,” the Third Year International Relations student said, adding: “To ask students to pay these large sums of fees when they have to pay for their own Internet services; when they’re being cut from jobs, and their parents are being cut from their jobs, and for things they can’t give us, we think that’s unfair.” Gibbons was expected to present the UGSS’s position at a virtual meeting with the University’s Council on Fri-

day, but due to issues he was having that day with Internet connectivity, he was unable

pandemic, which first hit Guyana in March this year, and has been increasingly

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand

to present, but is hoping to do so at a subsequent meeting. Due to the COVID-19

curb the spread of the virus, many UG students have also been affected by the situa-

UGSS President, Jafar Gibbons

developing, educational institutions across the country, including tertiary ones, have been closed for most of the year. As a result, UG has been administering classes to students virtually, by way of various Online platforms, and has not had physical classes on either of its campuses since February. Several students are contending that since the facilities are closed, there should be a reduction or elimination of the “Facilities Fees”, since they are currently doing classes Online, and not using many of the services being covered by said “fees”. “The things that the ‘Facilities Fees’ cover could not be provided for in the realm of Online learning, and since these things are not provided, it is unfair to ask the students to pay,” Gibbons said, adding: “It is unfair to ask students to pay a $3000 Sports Fee, where the university knows we cannot participate in sports. There’s also a Library Fee; we don’t have access to the library. Lab Fees; we don't get to use the labs.” Also included in the ‘Facilities Fee’ is a Learning Resource Fee of $15000 for Semester One, and $25,000 for Semester Two. “What learning resources is the University going to providing to its population of over 7000 students outside of the SRMS system?” Gibbons asked. By SRMS, Gibbons is referring to the Students Records Management System currently in use at the institution. As a result of the economic downturn caused by measures brought about to

tion. The students have been calling for the implementation of measures to address the situation. HARDER THAN ONE THOUGHT “Going through the pandemic and being a single-parent was harder than I thought, financially,” shared one final year Communication Studies student. “I am the sole breadwinner at home. When I read that fees will be reduced, I had hoped that I would benefit, but it seems as though it could not work that way. But last semester was my final semester at UG altogether.” Another student studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Education also shared that the situation has taken a dire toll on her finances. “Right now I still owe $78,000 for my Third Semester, and I’m trying to come up with a strategy to pay,” she said. “The long hours in front of the computer can also be tiresome; people don’t believe when I tell them that I used to be on Zoom class for three hours per class,” she said, adding: “The pandemic also caused UG to use a different testing method, which I did not like. We were only given multiple-choice tests, and I was not pleased; some measures should have been put in place to complete a Paper Two, since ‘multiple-choice’ is just a right or wrong answer.” An Online change.org petition that was started some five months ago has since gained over 4600 signatures as of Sunday afternoon, and stoked renewed attention over the weekend after news

of a reduction being granted started to circulate. Students are also questioning what became of the $5000 reduction that was offered for the preceding semester. Gibbons related that for students who had already paid their full facility fees for last semester, their refund will be credited to their Facilities Fee for the new semester, while for those students who have already paid, but have completed their programme, or are no longer continuing at the University, refunds are expected to be arranged. On Friday, Minister Manickchand noted that she is aware of the impact that the COVID-19 situation is having on UG students, and does believe that something should be done to address those who have been so severely affected, that they have had to suspend their studies. “Some students have fallen out of the system,” she said. “I think it’s more than 600 students that are lost during this period, and are unable to engage, and have dropped out really. I’ve asked the UG Vice-Chancellor to engage those students specifically, to see how we could get them back,” the Minister noted during her virtual press conference. Even as she announced that the Ministry of Education (MoE) is preparing to distribute print materials to students at the Grade School level, the Minister said that similar efforts are needed to address University students who do not have access to the Internet. “UG is going to continue to deliver all courses Online; and where Internet connectivity is a problem, there are efforts that are being made to deliver print materials, and to reach the students in other ways,” she noted. Following her assumption of her ministerial post last month, the Minister has since met with the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Paloma Mohammed, and toured its campuses. She noted last Friday that Dr. Mohammed has her full support, as they work together to deliver education at the institution. “We have to look specifically at the impact it has had on them. Those are issues that ongoing talks are about,” Minister Manickchand said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

$25M potable-water well, distribution network for Port Kaituma

A TOTAL of $25M has been budgeted for the drilling of a new potable water-well and installation of a new water-supply network, which will serve households within the Fitzberg/One to Four Mile areas, Port Kaituma, Region One. Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal recently visited the site where the water-well will be drilled at Two Miles, during a visit to the Port Kaituma sub-district. These interventions are a result of several visits to a number of communities within Region One by Minister Croal, who also holds parliamentary responsibility for that region. Since taking office, the minister has visited a number of pump stations and water sources within the Mabaruma, Matarkai, and

project in Port Kaituma, the water-well will serve approximately 600 persons through new service connections. This will be the first time families within the One to Four Mile areas will have direct access to potable water through individual service

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal

Santa Rosa sub-districts. Coupled with these visits, a team from the Guyana Water Inc has been conducting a needs-assessment exercise in hinterland villages, with the aim of addressing their water needs. Upon completion of the

COVID-19 claims another life GUYANA has lost yet another life to the dreaded novel coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the death toll to 56. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the victim was an 83-year-old woman from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). Authorities said the woman died while receiving treatment at a local health facility. The Ministry of Health expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and committed to providing all the necessary support during this difficult time. Authorities have since contacted all relatives and persons to facilitate contact tracing and rapid assistance to everyone who might have been exposed to the victim. Guyana has so far recorded 1,843 cases of COVID-19 with 41 of those cases being recorded in the past 24 hours. But 1,215 of those persons have since recovered, while 56 persons have lost their lives. Of the remaining cases, 55 persons are in institutional isolation and 512 are in home isolation, while 15 persons are being treated in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The emergence of asymptomatic cases had prompted authorities to distribute more sample kits across the country, especially to regions where the infection rate is high. Most of the cases have so far been recorded in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). Increased sample-taking had resulted in a backlog which authorities sought to alleviate by sending 500 samples to the Caribbean Public

Health Agency (CARHPA). The results of some of those samples have already been received, and the country has sent an additional 138 samples for testing, said Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly-discovered coronavirus. Most people, who fall sick with COVID-19, will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment. The WHO had said that 81 per cent of persons, who contract COVID-19, will have mild symptoms, while 14 per cent will have severe symptoms and five per cent will need intensive care. But the COVID-19 disease has proven to be a “real killer”, especially in cases involving persons who have co-morbidities such as diabetes and hypertension, among other things. Dr. Anthony said clinicians around the world are working double time to ensure that their patients, who have underlying conditions, are safe during this time. “We need to help by educating persons… they need to understand that once they have underlying conditions… they would have a greater risk of having the more severe form of the disease if they get COVID-19,” said Dr. Anthony, in an invited comment on Saturday. In speaking about some of the measures in place at local clinics, the health minister said they have been promoting sanitisation, the wearing of masks and adherence to social distancing protocols.

connections. This project will entail the laying of some 4km of pipelines and according to Minister Croal, will provide direct employment for persons living within these communities. This new system will be

interconnected to the existing Port Kaituma system and the water-well will be powered by electricity supplied by Port Kaituma Power and Light. The project will be managed and supervised by engineers of the Hinterland Ser-

vice Department of Guyana Water Inc, with a project life of two months. Meanwhile, over the coming weeks, the minister is expected to visit pump stations and water sources in other hinterland villages throughout the country.

Isaiah and Jo

HUNDREDS of Guyanese said farewell to cousins, Joel and Isaiah Henry, on Sunday, who found brutally murdered in Cotton Tree backdam, West Coast Berbice, on September 6. With heavy hearts, friends and family of the slain teens opened the funeral, farewell, and burial ceremony to the public as the deaths have since sparked a national outcry for justice and peace. The bodies, placed in purple caskets, were first opened for viewing at the Sandy's Funeral Home on Chapel Street, Georgetown. Several persons attended including the President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali and Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, who were seen exchanging brief re-

marks. President Ali laid floral wreaths on the coffins of the

boys and stood there with his close relatives for a brief moment of silence in respect.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

“What we can pray for ultimately is for justice for these two young men, for peace

and unity and to let their lives be a legacy for the future of Guyana,” the President stated

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali stands in the Sandy’s Funeral Home, along with the families of Joel and Isaiah Henry, to pay his respect to the slain teens. Moments earlier, he laid wreaths on their caskets and engaged in prayers with the families (Office of the Presidency photo)

afterwards, adding: “These events must never occur again… in the memory

The casket of one of the slain teens is c hearse for transport to West Coas

Some of those who attended the farewell ceremony at the Parade Ground on Sunday (Carl Croker photo)

The leaders who paid tribute at the farewell ceremon

oel laid to rest

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

of these two young men, all of Guyana should recommit to love, peace unity and to serve

in God. Today I ask the rest of Guyana to reflect in a peaceful manner, to reflect in prayer

carried, at the Parade Ground, into a waiting st Berbice for burial (Carl Croker photo)

Cousin of Joel and Isaiah, former Education Minister, Dr. Nicolette Henry holds up the photos of the slain boys (Carl Croker photo)

ny (Carl Croker photo)

and to hold up the families in prayer.” In his remarks, Harmon said that Guyana is heartbroken by the death of the Isaiah and Joel and it is high time that such acts are eradicated from the future of Guyana. “Guyana needs to be finally and fully released from the bondage of hatred and oppression which has fragmented and divided our people for too long… we must ensure that those, all of those, responsible for their deaths are brought to justice and met with the full force of the law. This is not about recrimination, it is about justice,” he said. Several members of the opposition also poured into the funeral home laying wreaths as the closest family members of the boys, clad in t-shirts bearing their faces, watched on. The procession then moved to the Parade Ground. This segment of the procession was hosted by the International Decade for People of African Decent Assembly-Guyana (IDPADA-G). JUSTICE One of those who delivered heartfelt tributes was cousin of Joel and Isaiah, former Education Minister, Dr. Nicolette Henry. Holding back tears, she said that she feels an unimaginable loss that she never wished upon herself or her family. She thanked Guyanese for their support and urged the police to find those responsible for the crime and bring them to justice. She said: “In the past few days, my family and I have heard from so many of you and we really appreciate all the support in this difficult time. As a family, we’re still mourning and hurting and weeping as we look for solace and justice. Today is exactly one week since the family would have learned of the deaths of Joel and Isaiah… no one has been charged as yet for these gruesome crimes. We, the family, all we’re asking for is justice

for our boys.” Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, also took the stage, calling for the police to provide answers to the glaring questions which remain. “Words cannot express how much I feel for these boys. As a family, you should remember the good times you have shared with them and keep their memories alive,” he urged. NOT GANG-RELATED One of the lawyers on the legal team for slain youths, Attorney Nigel Hughes, who recently debunked the rumour that their murders were gang-related, also paid tribute at the Parade Ground. He expressed that no one will ever know the excruciating pain the boys felt as they

were murdered and nothing can erase the images of their bodies, when found, from the minds of their family. The attorney said that the incident has opened unhealed wounds of racism that the country must address, even as he expects that law officials will not let up until justice is served. Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), Volda Lawrence, in her tribute said: “We want to ensure that the right persons are brought to justice. We want to ensure that the case is sound and solid against those murderers. We want to ensure that when they climb those magistrate courts stairs we will not hear that the case is dismissed or thrown out for lack of evi-

dence.” Representative of Red Thread Guyana, Joy Marcus, and Sister Clementine Marshall of the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA), also paid tribute to the boys, stating that if Guyana fails to address this matter of grave injustice, it fails its people. Trade Unionist, Lincoln Lewis and IDPADA-G Chairman, Vincent Alexander, also spoke at the funeral. After the ceremony at the Parade Ground, the funeral procession made its final journey along the Rupert Craig Highway to Number Three Village on West Coast Berbice where the boys were laid to rest.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Neymar one of five sent off in PSG vs Marseille game (BBC) - Neymar was one of five players sent off after an injury-time brawl as Marseille beat Paris St-Germain in Ligue 1. Florian Thauvin scored the only goal as PSG lost their opening two Ligue 1 games for the first time since 1984-85. But a late brawl saw PSG substitutes Leandro Paredes and Layvin Kurzawa, and Marseille duo Jordan Amavi and Dario Benedetto, sent off. The referee then watched a VAR replay of a Neymar punch and showed him a straight red card. As he he left the pitch, the Brazilian told the fourth official he had heard a racist comment. The game was fractious even before that late brawl. There were 17 cards shown in total, a record for a Ligue 1 game in the 21st century. It all started when Marseilleâ€™s Benedetto nudged Paredes in the back, with the PSG midfielder then punching him to the ground before appearing to headbutt Alvaro. A melee broke out, with Kurzawa and Amavi punching and kicking each other. Benedetto and Paredes were each shown second yellow cards, with Kurzawa and Amavi shown straight reds. A VAR review showed Neymar had punched the back of the head of Alvaro, a player he had been in a running battle with all game, and he was shown a straight red card - having earlier been booked. Alvaro had also been involved in a big firsthalf flashpoint when he suggested Angel di Maria spat at him. Di Maria was one of seven PSG players along with Neymar - to test positive for coronavirus before the season started, although he had since provided a negative test.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Pogacar wins Tour de France stage 11 (BBC) - Tadej Pogacar won stage 15 of the Tour de France to slightly cut Primoz Roglic’s lead as defending champion Egan Bernal dropped out of contention. Pogacar beat yellow jersey Roglic in a sprint to the line and now trails his fellow Slovenian by 40 seconds. Bernal cracked badly on the final climb to Grand Colombier and lost over seven minutes to slip from third to 13th overall. Britain’s Adam Yates moved up to fifth in the general classification. Roglic was expertly delivered to the finish after another supreme display by his Jumbo-Visma team but Pogacar again showed he will attempt to reduce the deficit at every opportunity. The 21-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider kicked clear late on to take his second stage win of the Tour and 10 bonus seconds, with Roglic second and Richie Porte in third. “Jumbo-Visma set a really high pace all day and it made it a really difficult stage so I was just waiting for the sprint at the end and I’m so happy to win again,” said Pogacar. “The plan is to win the Tour de France. Primoz Roglic seems unstoppable but today Bernal cracked and maybe one day myself or Primoz will crack - there are still a lot of opportunities ahead.” Pogacar, who lost over a minute after being caught out by the crosswinds on stage seven, will have to attack from further out in the final week to overhaul Roglic, which will be tough given the strength of Jumbo-Visma. Belgian all-rounder Wout van Aert, who has won two bunch sprints in this year’s Tour, drove the group of favourites for the first 8km of the 17.4km final climb and set such a high pace he dropped Grand Tour winners Bernal and Nairo Quintana. Former Giro d’Italia champion Tom Dumoulin then reeled in an attack by Yates at 6km to go and led the main group all the way into the final kilometre before Roglic attacked. Porte, Pogacar and Miguel Angel Lopez were the only riders able to react before Pogacar prevailed in a repeat of the

While four-time Tour winner Chris Froome looks to still be working his way back to top form, Ineos’ decision not to select 2018 champion Geraint Thomas will come under scrutiny again. The Welshman, who is now targeting this year’s Giro in October, is currently third overall heading into the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico on Monday. In a frantic start to stage 15, Ireland’s Sam Bennett managed to prevent green jersey rival Peter Sagan going up the road before beating him at the intermediate sprint to extend his lead in that competition to 45 points. After a rest day on Monday, the race resumes with a rolling 164km route from La Tour-du-Pin to Villard-deLans on Tuesday.

Primoz Roglic and Tadej Pogacar again showed they are the two strongest riders in the race Slovenian one-two on stage nine. But despite being beaten again, this was another strong showing by Roglic, who will be confident his team can control the rest of the race. Yates also rode well to finish eighth and is now just 29 seconds off the podium entering the final week. Jumbo’s strength was in marked contrast to Ineos Grenadiers, who have won seven of the past eight Tours as Team Sky and Team Ineos. All of Bernal’s support riders except Michal Kwiatkowski and Jonathan Castroviejo were dropped early on before the Colombian, who came into the race still recovering from a back injury, also began to slip back and rapidly lose time. The 23-year-old is now eight minutes 25 seconds down on Roglic and Ineos have no back-up option, with deputy leader Richard Carapaz over 30 minutes down.

Stage 15 result 1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 4hrs 34mins 13secs 2. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma) Same time 3. Richie Porte (Aus/Trek-Segafredo) +5secs 4. Miguel Angel Lopez (Col/Astana) +8secs 5. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +15secs 6. Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo-Visma) Same time 7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Bahrain McLaren) 8. Adam Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott) 9. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Pro Cycling) +18secs 10. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +24secs General classification after stage 15 1. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma) 65hrs 37mins 07secs 2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +40secs 3. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Pro Cycling) +1mins 34secs 4. Miguel Angel Lopez (Col/Astana) +1mins 45secs 5. Adam Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott) +2mins 03secs 6. Richie Porte (Aus/Trek-Segafredo) +2mins 13secs 7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Bahrain McLaren) +2mins 16secs 8. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +3mins 15secs 9. Nairo Quintana (Col/Arkea-Samsic) +5mins 08secs 10. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +5mins 12secs

Vardy scores as Leicester beat West Brom (BBC) - Jamie Vardy scored a second-half penalty double as Leicester condemned West Brom to a disappointing return to the Premier League. After goalkeeper Sam Johnstone twice came to the home side’s rescue with saves to deny Harvey Barnes in the first half, new signing Timothy Castagne broke the deadlock when he nodded home a far-post cross from fellow Belgian Dennis Praet nine minutes after the restart. Vardy, last season’s Premier League top scorer, then got up to score from the spot after being dragged back by Kyle Bartley as he chased into the box to support a move that saw Johnstone deny former Baggies loanee Barnes for a third time. The 33-year-old repeated the feat 10 minutes later after Dara O’Shea tripped James Justin. As playmaker James Maddison made a second-half appearance off the bench after recovering from a hip operation that crucially caused him to miss the end of the season, it was a good day for manager Brendan Rodgers and his team, who were winning this particular fixture for the fifth time in a row. For West Brom, it was a brutal reminder of the task they face merely trying to stay in the top flight. All three promoted teams lost on the opening weekend and - like Fulham, who were beaten by a similar scoreline against Arsenal on Saturday - there are early question marks over whether they have the quality to survive. Good day for Leicester

Jamie Vardy scores (BBC) Leicester’s biggest away win since New Year’s Day provided a positive response to some major questions. After looking like Champions League certainties for the first half of the season, a draining run of 17 games in which they claimed only four wins and 17 points saw Leicester overtaken by Manchester United for a top-four spot on the final day of the season. Just as his side’s form nosedived, so did Vardy’s. He may have been the Premier League’s top scorer but 17 of his 23 goals came before Christmas Day. After toiling for most of the afternoon, Vardy’s day seem to be reaching an unhappy end when he limped away from a collision with Johnstone. But the physio sorted Vardy out and within minutes he had scored. Ten minutes after that, he had another one. The similarity of his penalties was uncanny. The run-up was purposeful, the shot

powerful, both times to Johnstone’s left as the keeper went right. “Any team would want him. He’s super cool, clinical, still has pace and running ability,” said Rodgers. “He’s a box player. He’ll never be dropping underneath with bright intricate play but he’s a killer in the box. Whether from a cross or penalty he’s got the eye to score. He never looked like missing.” Maddison’s introduction was further reason for Leicester to cheer, although with a notoriously draining Europa League campaign to negotiate from the middle of October, it is fair to assume Rodgers will want more signings beyond Castagne, who has been brought in as a replacement for Ben Chilwell, who joined Chelsea for £45m. “There is a load of work going on behind the scenes. We will see what happens in the next few days,” added Rodgers. “Delighted with the guys who are here. We will try to improve this squad whether we

get new players in or not.” Goal-shy Baggies When West Brom went down three seasons ago, their measly 31 goals was one of the major reasons. Salomon Rondon and Jay Rodriguez were joint top scorers with seven, so it is obvious where the Baggies must improve if they are to stand a chance of preserving their Premier League status. Having spent £28m on three new offensive signings - albeit two of them joining permanently after impressing during the club’s promotion seasons - expectations around Pereira, Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson are high. There was evidence of plenty of movement from those three but it only translated into a single shot on target. Kasper Schmeichel made one feet-first save from Pereira before the break but the Brazilian’s effort was going wide anyway. Pereira was the home side’s major attacking threat - and might have done better with a volley he sent sailing over the bar after controlling in a good position inside the Leicester box. But without a greater goal threat, it could be a long old season for the Baggies. “I was really pleased with the way we played until they scored,” said Albion boss Bilic. “It was a good performance up to then, with and without the ball. Very disappointed with the result. Our mentality was not the same after the goal. We have to think forwards.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

Former US U19 cricketer Wilson slams ton in NY National Cricket League FORMER US U19 cricketer Randall Wilson proved his outstanding batting prowess after back-to-back impressive knocks for the Phoenix Stars Cricket Club on Saturday in the New York National Cricket League. The Guyanese born cricketer slammed an even century and 31 from 30 balls, which propelled his side to a win and a loss in the 25-over

competition at Baisley Pond Park. The matches were Wilson’s first for the club this season. Phoenix Stars, made up mainly of overseas-based Guyanese, are fifth in Group B, having won four of their seven games. MOMENTUM Wilson, who left Guyana in 2009 after a short

stint at the Demerara Cricket Club, said that his morning knock of 31 helped him to score his ton in the afternoon. “Felt great about it because we played an early morning game where I had a great start, but didn’t capitalize, so I took that momentum into the second game and just basically continued where I left off; just this time I was a bit smarter and more patient

and yeah made the ton.” In the opening game against Everest/ACS, the eventual winners batted first and scored 213-7 in their allotted overs with Deveshwari Prashad hitting 59. Samuel Raghubir was the pick of the Phoenix Stars bowlers with 3-18 from five overs. In reply, the right-handed Wilson attempted to bat himself in, but he had little support.

His 31 (five fours), was the highest score in the chase as the middle and lower order collapsed, which left the side all out for 81 in 21.4 overs. In their second clash against fellow Group B side New York Nepali CC (currently seven on the points table), Phoenix Stars batted first and led by opener Wilson were able to push their score to 213-5. The 24-year-old (25 on

Tuesday), who spanked eight fours and six sixes, scored his 100 from 64 balls. On the field, Raghubir was again deadly with his off-spin bowling. The 31-year-old took 5-21 from five overs to help restrict the Nepali side to 83-all out in 18 overs. Support came from F. Azeez and Rameez Mohamed, who picked up two wickets each.

England level ODI series (ESPNCRICINFO) - England’s bowlers answered every question asked of them to snatch an unlikely victory and level the series 1-1 as Australia capitulated in the second ODI at Emirates Old Trafford. Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer gave England every hope of avoiding their first bilateral ODI series defeat at home since 2015 by claiming three crucial wickets each before Sam Curran chimed in with three wickets of his own after a staggering Australian collapse to seal the win and keep the series alive going into Wednesday’s final encounter. Aaron Finch and Marnus Labuschagne put on 107 for the third wicket to build on the solid foundation set by Australia’s bowlers, who restricted England until a late partnership worth 76 between Rashid and Tom Curran gave the hosts something to bowl at. Chasing 232 for victory after England had won the toss, Australia stumbled to 37 for 2 and then lost four wickets in the space of 21 balls - three of them to Woakes - to give England more than a sniff of the victory which had seemed so distant after their performance with the bat and again when Finch and Labuschagne were cruising. Archer defied a used pitch which had been keeping low with devastating speed and bounce in an excellent fiveover opening spell which delivered 2 for 22. He dismissed David Warner for a seventh time in international cricket with a scorching delivery up around the ribs which drew an edge through to Jos Buttler.

Archer hit Finch on the helmet but the blow failed to trouble the visiting captain who, having passed the necessary on-field concussion testing, settled back into his rhythm even in the face of another wicket as Archer struck again with a short ball that reared up and found the shoulder of the bat as Marcus Stoinis fended awkwardly and was caught behind. Finch and Labuschagne wrested back control until Archer and Woakes returned and wreaked havoc. England brought in the Curran brothers for Mark Wood, who pulled up with a sore ankle, and Moeen Ali, left out in what Eoin Morgan described as “a tactical move”. Those tactics came under the microscope on a pitch which rewarded Australia’s legspinner, Adam Zampa, whose 3 for 36 combined with some miserly bowling by the seamers had contained England so well. But the decision paid off amid Morgan’s masterful captaincy as England again stood up against huge pressure. Zampa’s opposite number, Adil Rashid, was wicketless after his first three overs, having conceded 27 runs from them. Rashid returned from the opposite end only to be punished by Finch bringing up his half-century with a bottom edge through fine leg and a straight hit that sped through Rashid’s hands and all the way to the rope at long-off. Both Currans had failed to make inroads up to that point, prompting the return of Archer and Woakes. Archer struck Finch another brutal blow on the chest but Finch

shrugged it off by clipping the next ball to the leg side and running a swift two. Labuschagne pulled Woakes gloriously for four and then brought up the 100-stand with Finch via a single off the next delivery. But Woakes made the breakthrough England so desperately needed when he dismissed Labuschagne lbw for 48 from 59 balls after England successfully reviewed umpire Michael Gough’s original not-out decision, sparking Australia’s collapse. Mitch Marsh entered with Australia needing 88 from 20.1 overs, having scored 73 in the first ODI and an unbeaten 39 in a player-ofthe-match performance as Australia won the third and final T20I. But when Archer had Marsh so flummoxed on the sixth ball he faced that he chopped on, the spring returned to England’s step. They were positively jumping when Woakes bowled Finch for 73 as Australia lost a third wicket for just one run in the space of 11 balls. Archer had just completed his 10 overs with 3 for 34 when Woakes struck again next ball, bowling Glenn Maxwell for 1. From 144 for 2, Australia were 147 for 6 needing 82 runs from the last 15 overs. With Archer and Woakes - who claimed 3 for 32 bowled out, England turned again to Rashid and the Currans. It was Sam Curran who claimed two wickets in consecutive balls, bowling Pat Cummins and having Mitchell Starc caught behind as Australia crumbled further to 166 for 8. Zampa survived the hattrick ball but Sam Curran

had the final say when he had Zampa caught by Archer to claim his third and put England within one wicket of triumph. Rashid claimed the last wicket when he had Alex Carey stumped off a googly as England won by 24 runs with eight balls to spare. Australia were unchanged from their 19-run victory in the first match despite Steven Smith passing a second concussion test in a move Cricket Australia insisted was precautionary after he took a blow to the head during training which kept him out of that game. Starc almost struck with the second ball when he had Jason Roy given out lbw to a delivery that pitched in line and nipped back in. Roy had the decision overturned on review when the DRS showed that the ball was going over the top of the stumps, but Starc made a breakthorugh a short time later with a ball that held its line and found the edge from a prodding Jonny Bairstow, caught behind for a duck. He inflicted more pain when Joe Root attempted to drive and edged the ball hard onto his back knee, and when Roy was run out to a sniper-like throw from Stoinis in the covers, England were 29 for 2. Root laboured to 39 off 73 before Zampa had him caught by Finch at first slip, putting England at 90 for 3. Root’s dismissal sparked a mini gear-shift from Morgan, who struck three fours in five balls from Marsh and Zampa, but when Finch changed up the attack with the re-introduction of Cummins, who struck with his third ball back to trap Buttler lbw for

Chris Woakes bowled Glenn Maxwell to continue Australia’s slide Getty Images 3, England suffered another setback. Zampa dismissed Morgan lbw for England’s top score of 42 and Sam Billings with a legbreak that was too full for the cut attempted by Billings, who ended up chopping onto

his stumps and trudging off with just 8 from 28 balls. The hosts then lost Sam Curran and Woakes in quick succession, but Rashid’s rearguard 35 from 26 balls combined with Tom Curran’s 37 off 39 limited the damage.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday September 14, 2020) COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Lendl Simmons (TKR) (2) St. Lucia Zouks

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who scored most runs in Hero CPL 2020? (2) What was the highest individual score made in Hero CPL 2020?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 14, 2020

New CPL champs TKR with most runs/wickets after uninterrupted season –– Pollard, Simmons finish with most boundaries By Clifton Ross TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR) etched their names into the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) history books after, storming to their 5th title following a record unbeaten run; also ending with the most runs, wickets and boundaries this season. As if the 2020 edition

of ‘Summer’s Biggest Party’ was tailor-made for Kieron Pollard and his men, TKR took full advantage of hosting all 33 matches inside their ‘Bio secure-Bubble’. Rumors swirled prior to the start of the completion about Knight Rider players getting some precious training and practice time while others were stuck inside their hotels, fol-

Lendl Simmons fought his way back from a tough start to his 2020 campaign to end as the leading run-scorer

lowing COVID-19 safety protocol. If true, then TKR should give themselves a pat on the back after making the most of opportunities that were not afforded to the other franchise and as a result; finishing with the title easily and safely in their clutches. Played for the first time without fans or the party-like atmosphere as in previous editions, the familiarity of the Brian Lara Ground and the Queen’s Park Oval outweighed that of the other teams or players who may have some knowledge of the conditions. As a batting unit, TKR imposed themselves as bullies, whether it was Lendl Simmons who did a phenomenal job to end the season as the leading run-scorer with 356 runs or the combined efforts of their world-class bowling attack which saw them ending with 86 victims overall; the Riders have set the example on how to play cricket at home. In total, the labors of Simmons who should have easily had three centuries after racking up scores of;

96, 54* and 84* or Darren Bravo, who ended 3rd overall on the runs chart and second behind Simmons in the team with 297 runs, with three half-century scores (54*, 50 and 58*) as well; saw the Trinidadian franchise ending with a whopping 1,683 runs, the most by any team this year. Darren Sammy and his St. Lucia Zouks, who broke the hearts of Guyanese when they steamrolled the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the semi-finals, had the bad hand dealt to them as they suffered a thumping loss in Thursday’s final but not before ending the season with 1,454 team run; second behind TKR. The Jamaica Tallawahs recorded 1,338 runs to finish in 3rd place as leading run-getters. Pollard and his men also flexed their guns in the bowling department as their collective assault on batsman this season resulted in a number of their bowlers finishing with at least 6 wickets apiece. Again it was the Zouks who played second fiddle, as their bowlers, especially the Kiwi pacer Scott

TKR Skipper Kieron Pollard finished with the most sixes in the tournament this season Kuggeleijn who finished tering 72 being his highas the leading bowler with light innings, kept his rank 17 wickets; playing a huge as one of the premier T20 part of his team wrapping six-hitters after hammerup their 2020 campaign ing 20 of them which was with 77 wickets to their the most by any player this credit. season. With TKR leading the Even the 49 year-old batting charge almost all Pravin Tambe, the oldseason, despite Warriors est player this year and batsman Shimron Het- the first Indian to ever myer holding down the play in the CPL, mannumber 1 batsman spot for aged to squeeze himself almost the entire tourney into the records books before slipping down the after recording the best ranks; it was no surprise bowling economy; a flat that Simmons led with the 4.00 runs-per over which most fours struck this year, further buffed the new smacking 26 of them. champions incredible Pollard, who ended 2020 CPL accomplishwith 207 runs and a blis- ments.

Hamilton takes win in dramatic Tuscan GP (BBC) - Lewis Hamilton took his 90th career victory by beating Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas in a chaotic, incident-strewn Tuscan Grand Prix. The race was punctuated by two red flags, the first caused by a pile-up on the pit straight, the second by a highspeed crash for Lance Stroll. In one of the most dramatic races for years, six cars had retired before a lap of racing had completed. Red Bull’s Thai-British driver Alex Albon took a maiden podium in third. Hamilton’s win was his sixth in nine races this season and, coupled with a fastest lap secured on the penultimate tour, it extended his championship lead to 55 points as the season passes halfway, and puts him just one behind Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of wins.

At the pre-race anti-racism demonstration, as he did his post-race interviews, and on the podium, Hamilton wore a T-shirt saying: “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.” It refers to one of a number of controversial cases in the US in which police officers have shot and killed black civilians. What caused the huge pile-up? Amid the sequence of incidents and crashes, the victory hinged on three standing starts between the Mercedes drivers. In the first, Hamilton got away poorly from pole position and lost the lead to Bottas, but racing lasted only three corners because of a crash between Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo, Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly and Haas driver Romain Grosjean.

The incident also took out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who had been struck by engine problems as he accelerated away from third on the grid. That led to a safety car, and at the restart, as Bottas bunched up the field down the pit straight, there was a massive crash towards the back of the field. Haas’ Kevin Magnussen accelerated and then slowed, he said because of cars doing the same in front of him. Williams driver Nicholas Latifi swerved to avoid him and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi then cannoned into Magnussen. McLaren’s Carlos Sainz then hit the back of the cars of both Giovinazzi and Magnussen, pitching the Alfa 90 degrees into the air before it came down on all four wheels.

How Hamilton got the lead At the restart, the positions of the Mercedes drivers was reversed. Hamilton drafted Bottas down to Turn One and took the lead around the outside, controlling the race from there. The Mercedes drivers disappeared off into the distance and appeared untroubled, but Bottas developed problems with excessive wear of his front tyres and began to drop dramatically away from Hamilton. Bottas had to pit earlier than expected for fresh tyres. Hamilton followed him in next time around and the two drivers were instructed to stay off the kerbs to protect their tyres. The race appeared done, but that was counting without another development. Racing Point’s Stroll was

in the middle of a three-way fight for third with Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo in front and Albon behind when his left rear tyre exploded as he entered the second of the two 170mph Arrabbiata corners. That led to a second red flag, to repair the barrier. The final part of the race At the restart, with just 12 laps remaining, Bottas again got away slowly and lost second place to Ricciardo. But the Finn was able to pass the Renault next time around and secure second place. That left Ricciardo defending from Albon for third, which would have been the first podium for Renault since they returned to the sport in 2016. But Albon had too much pace in the Red Bull and passed the Renault with a lovely move around the out-

side of the first corner with three laps to go to take his maiden F1 podium. Albon made hard work of the result. Starting fourth, he dropped back to seventh at the second start and had to fight his way back up, which he did with some excellent passes. Ricciardo took fourth, ahead of Racing Point’s Sergio Perez and McLaren’s Lando Norris. Williams driver George Russell just missed out on his first points, finishing 11th, behind Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. Ferrari had a difficult day as they celebrated their 1,000th F1 Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc was running third early on, but dropped down the field, lacking pace and straightline speed and finished eighth.

Former US U19 cricketer Wilson slams ton in NY National Cricket League See story on page 26

Guyanese born Randall Wilson was in a no-nonsense mood with the bat

Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W11 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Tuscany at Mugello Circuit on September 13, 2020 in Scarperia, Italy.

Neymar one of five sent off in PSG vs Marseille game See story on page 24

Hamilton takes win in dramatic Tuscan GP See story on page 27

Neymar has been sent off three times in his Paris St-Germain career

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2020